The seventh of eleven children born to Cantonese immigrants, Hiram Fong worked his way through school, graduated from Harvard Law, and became the first Asian American to serve in the U.S. Senate. He became a member of the Territorial House of Representatives the same year he started his law office. In 1948, he became Speaker of the House and during this time was one of the key leaders in fighting for Hawaii’s statehood. He eventually served as one of Hawaii’s first U.S. Senators and would later become the first Asian American to run for President of the United States. As a senator, he supported civil rights legislation that would eliminate ethnic barriers to immigration.